ould not have been half so wonderful as the pictures which my
imagination wrought as it conjured to life again the ancient peoples of
this dying world and set them once more to the labours, the intrigues,
the mysteries and the cruelties which they had practised to make their
last stand against the swarming hordes of the dead sea bottoms that had
driven them step by step to the uttermost pinnacle of the world where
they were now intrenched behind an impenetrable barrier of superstition.

In addition to the green men there had been three principal races upon
Barsoom. The blacks, the whites, and a race of yellow men. As the
waters of the planet dried and the seas receded, all other resources
dwindled until life upon the planet became a constant battle for
survival.

The various races had made war upon one another for ages, and the three
higher types had easily bested the green savages of the water places of
the world, but now that the receding seas necessitated constant
abandonment of their fortified cities and forced upon them a more or
less nomadic life in which they became separated into smaller
communities they soon fell prey to the fierce hordes of green men. The
result was a partial amalgamation of the blacks, whites and yellows,
the result of which is shown in the present splendid race of red men.

I had always supposed that all traces of the original races had
disappeared from the face of Mars, yet within the past four days I had
found both whites and blacks in great multitudes. Could it be possible
that in some far-off corner of the planet there still existed a remnant
of the ancient race of yellow men?

My reveries were broken in upon by a low exclamation from the boy.

"At last, the lighted way," he cried, and looking up I beheld at a long
distance before us a dim radiance.

As we advanced the light increased until presently we emerged into
well-lighted passageways. From then on our progress was rapid until we
came suddenly to the end of a corridor that let directly upon the ledge
surrounding the pool of the submarine.

The craft lay at her moorings with uncovered hatch. Raising his finger
to his lips and then tapping his sword in a significant manner, the
youth crept noiselessly toward the vessel. I was close at his heels.

Silently we dropped to the deserted deck, and on hands and knees
crawled toward the hatchway. A stealthy glance below revealed no guard
in sight, and so with the quickness an